THEATRE REVIEW: Kenrex ★★★★★

When the residents of the northwest Missouri city of Skidmore become victim to one of their own, living in fear of his actions as they are terrorised by his ways, it’s the job of David Baird, the prosecuting attorney on the case, to bring justice to the city. Following the success of their 2021 show, Cruise, Jack Holden and John Patrick Elliott reunite to give audiences a theatrical treat, which embeds true crime with a remarkable true story about how a town came together to take down one of their own.

Tackling its subject head on, Jack Holden braces us for a production that pushes itself to the limit, never shying away from the heinous crimes that one Ken Rex McElroy, referenced as ‘a small town bully’, endured on his neighbours, passing strangers, and his wife, Trena Mcloud, who he manipulated in her pre-adolescent years, to believe that he loved her. Co-Written and Directed by Ed Stambollouian, Holden carries the weight of every character, morphing into their characteristics, repeating motifs that allow us as an audience to watch with ease as small gestures and tones of voice bring to life the locals of Skidmore.

As aforementioned, John Patrick Elliott provides an on stage experience, delving deeper into this true crime saga, with a haunting score that echoes the trauma faced back in 1950s Missouri. His score soars through the rafters of The Large space, pulsating through our chests, and makes us grapple with abandonment issues when scenes are met with a deafening pin drop silence. As chapters race through the show, the way in which Holden and Patrick Elliott weave their work with each other, even at times having dialogue, is met with huge appreciation, as we are itching ever closer to the climax, which simply takes your breath away.